


Adding Sweet to his Bitter

by ldsbibliophile



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:40:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21893785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ldsbibliophile/pseuds/ldsbibliophile
Summary: Virgil goes to his college cafe to find out they have a new barista. What relationships could possibly form?
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49
Collections: Sanders Sides Secret Santa 2019





	Adding Sweet to his Bitter

Virgil trudged through the snow, up to his ankles now and still coming down strong. Why couldn't they cancel classes?

At least his day was over. He just had to get home, cozy up under his covers with his favorite music, and hunker down for a night of studying.

But first, his usual Friday stopover for a pick-me-up at the college cafe, with the usual barista making him his usual french vanilla coffee with two extra creams. Roman always said it surprised him that Virgil would drink coffee anything but black, the emo that he was, but Virgil did like to add a little sweet to his bitter.

Virgil stepped in the door, little bell chiming above his head, and stomped the snow from his boots onto the mat. And heard an unfamiliar laugh.

He looked up, and froze.

His usual barista wasn't there. Instead, there was a new (cute), blue-haired (cute), freckled (cute), bespectacled ( _ cute _ ) barista, laughing at something a customer had just said. He continued to giggle as he made the customer's order, then smiled as he handed the drink over and wished the man a "wonderful wintry day".

Then he looked at Virgil, a welcoming smile on his face.

Virgil ducked his head, looking at the floor. He stepped aside for the other customer as he left, mumbling a "sorry" as he got out of the doorway.

He could feel the barista's eyes on him as he looked at anything but them. Panic settled in his chest like a giant brick. With the regular barista, he didn't even have to say anything, but now he was going to have to talk to this new (cute) guy.

He looked out the window. He could just go home and make himself a cup of regular coffee…

But he looked forward to his Friday treat and Roman would for sure know something was up if he came home without it. He looked up at the barista, who had started busying himself with wiping down the counter, though he occasionally glanced up at Virgil with another smile. His smile grew when he saw Virgil looking back and he waved.

Virgil gave a small wave back then ducked his head again. He couldn't do it. He'd just swear off coffee forever. It's not like he needed it like  _ any other college student _ .

He barely kept himself from groaning, and this frustration, miraculously, gave him the push he needed to move forward, toward the counter.

But when he got there, he was left staring into those huge, brown eyes that were crinkling from the barista's smile.

"Hi! How can I help you?" the barista asked, his voice chipper and peppy.

"Um… uh… o-one vanilla coffee… with two… two creams… please."

The barista nodded. "Grande?"

Virgil nodded, then mentally kicked himself. He usually only got a tall. Oh well, after this encounter, maybe he'd need a little more coffee.

"I'll make that for you right away." The barista smiled and turned to make the coffee. "Oh! I knew I was forgetting something. Can I have your name?"

Virgil looked back at him, wide-eyed. Of course, he should have expected this. "Uh… Vir-Virgil."

The barista smiled again. "That's a nice name!"

He hurriedly scribbled it down on the cup and set to work making the coffee.

It was quiet in the cafe. Virgil's classes ended mid-afternoon, so most students were still in class now. For the first time, he wished there were more people here, or at least someone else to take the barista's attention, or make him laugh again…

"Here you go, Virgil!" a voice rang, pulling Virgil out of his thoughts.

The barista was holding out his grande cup, steam curling out of the hole in the lid.

"Thanks," Virgil mumbled, taking the cup. He turned toward the door.

"My name's Patton, by the way," the barista called his attention back. "It's nice to meet you."

Virgil smiled slightly. "It's… nice to meet you, too… Patton."

***

Virgil opened the door to silence, which was odd, considering  _ Roman _ was his roommate. He peeked into the living room.

Roman and his boyfriend were on the floor, facing away from him. Logan sat, leaning back on his hands, with Roman sprawled across his lap, tracing circles in the carpet as they both stared out the floor-to-ceiling window.

Virgil's eyebrow quirked upwards. "Hello."

The pair turned. Roman smiled wide. "Hello, Ruby Gloom!"

Logan smiled as well, though his smile, as usual, was more reserved. "Salutations, Virgil. How was class?"

"It must have been pretty bad for you to upsize your coffee?" Roman commented, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes.

"No, it was fine. I just ordered the wrong size on accident. Glad to be home, though. What are you two up to?"

"We're watching the snow!" Roman said brightly.

Logan adjusted his glasses. "It's rather soothing… Would you like to join us?"

Virgil smiled, noticing Roman's pout. "No, you two keep going with your little date. I've got homework." He turned and left, but not before seeing both of them blush at the word "date". Logan's hand had then moved to find Roman's, and their fingers intertwined just as Virgil turned away.

He smiled and took another sip of his coffee. The pair had only been going out for a few weeks, and were still honestly pretty awkward about it, but Virgil could see they fit well together.

He settled into bed with his laptop and pulled up his homework.

A couple hours later, he found his mind drifting from the textbook he was reading. For…  _ some _ ... reason… he started thinking about a certain blue-haired barista. What was his name again? P- P- Parrot? No. Parent? No. P- P- Patton! Yeah. Patton. Not a bad name. Was he a new employee? Did that mean he'd be there every week now?

Virgil sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. Great. He'd have to break in a whole new barista, fighting his social anxiety every Friday just for a cup of coffee.

He shook his head and tried to refocus on homework. But he kept seeing Patton's freckled smile, those big brown eyes behind big round glasses. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. Was it better or worse that the new barista was so cute?

Time for a break.

Virgil closed his laptop and slid out of his covers to go search for some food. Tomorrow's grocery trip would be a nightmare with the snow that was still coming down.

He came into the kitchen and saw Roman and Logan at the table. They were both looking at a paper and textbook, Logan pointing to something on the paper and talking quietly, and Roman looking on with intense concentration.

Virgil smiled and turned to open the fridge, peering inside with a frown at the scant contents. There was some milk left, maybe he had some cereal to go with it?

"Oh!" Roman shouted, making Virgil jump. When he turned around, Roman was scribbling furiously, his tongue poking out, and Logan was watching with a slight smile. The latter looked up at Virgil.

"Hello, Virgil. How are your studies going?"

"Pretty good, though I think that extra caffeine is starting to hinder more than help."

Logan nodded and looked back down at Roman's paper. He pointed to something Roman had just written and quietly corrected him before turning back to Virgil.

"We were going to watch a movie after Roman finishes his homework. Would you like to join us?"

Virgil thought about this for a moment, then smiled. "Sure. I could use a break. Do you know which movie?"

"We haven't picked one yet, but I'm sure it will be a Disney one."

Virgil chuckled. "I'm sure. Have you considered Nightmare Before Christmas?" he asked with a grin as he turned to look for some cereal in the cupboard.

He could hear the smile in Logan's voice. "Is last month not recent enough to have watched it?"

"Last week would not be recent enough. Last month is too long."

Now it was Logan who chuckled. "I'm sure we can consider that. Though Roman will probably say that Frozen fits our wintry day better."

"Ugh. If we must."

Logan frowned. "We do not have to watch it—"

Virgil smiled. "I was just kidding, Specs. Frozen really isn't that bad. It's just not Tim Burton."

"Oh." Logan relaxed. "Okay. Well, we'll see what Roman says, in any case."

He turned back to watching over Roman, and Virgil poured his cereal and milk into a bowl and started munching.

***

The bell rang above Virgil's head as he opened the door. Patton turned, smiling, and Virgil ducked his head. Why did the new barista have to be so cute?

He walked up to the counter. "Hi, uh, one… one vanilla coffee… two creams." He stopped, then remembered the mistake from last time. "Tall!" he blurted, then covered his mouth.

Patton giggled. "For… Vir...gil? Right?"

Virgil stared for a moment, then nodded. "Uh-huh," he said quietly. "Y-you got that after only one visit?"

"Oh, yeah, well, I try to memorize customers names, and yours was a pretty cool one so it was a bit easier…" Patton said, looking away and writing Virgil's name on a cup. Virgil didn't miss the slight blush that rose on Patton's cheeks, and his brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

Patton set to work making the drink.

The bell rang a moment later. Both of them glanced over at the door to see another employee taking off his coat. Patton and the man smiled at each other in greeting.

The other employee disappeared into the back just as Patton finished up Virgil's drink. He handed it to him with a smile.

"Thanks," Virgil said, turning away with a small wave.

But after a couple steps, he was stopped by a small "Wait."

He turned back, and Patton was looking away, blushing. But he spoke to Virgil again, "Could you— I mean— I—" He took a breath and looked at Virgil with a shy smile. "I'm about to take my break. W-would you like to join me?"

Virgil froze, staring at Patton as the poor barista's blush grew deeper. "I mean, there's no good wifi here, and my cell connection sucks, and you seem… nice…" he trailed off.

Finally, Virgil shook himself out of his shock. "Um… sure, I guess."

Patton smiled wide and his eyes sparkled happily. "Great! Um…" He looked at the door behind him. "I just have to wait for Dee to come up…"

"I'm okay with waiting," Virgil said, waving a hand dismissively.

Patton smiled at him again, and Virgil found his stomach turning. He hadn't forgotten how cute Patton was, but there the barista had to go and remind him anyway.

They waited awkwardly for a couple minutes, then the door to the back room finally opened and Dee came out, tying his apron. He gave Patton and Virgil a curious look, then smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at Patton, who blushed and looked away.

Dee chuckled and set about tidying up, though there really wasn't much to tidy up.

Patton untied his apron and set it in a corner behind the counter. "See ya, Dee!" he said cheerfully as he walked away and out into the cafe proper.

Dee waved without looking away from his work.

"All right," Patton said, smiling at Virgil. "Do you want to stay here? Or take a walk? I have half an hour."

Virgil shrugged and took a sip of coffee. "A walk sounds nice."

Patton nodded. "I'll get my coat on."

Bundled up and ready to go, they left the cafe and started strolling down the sidewalk. It wasn't a bad day out; it was cold but not too windy, and the sun was out.

They walked for a few minutes before Patton broke the silence.

"What kind of pictures do you have?"

Virgil looked up at him, his brow furrowed. "Huh?"

"What kind of pictures do you have? Like, on your phone or something? I think the kinds of pictures people keep tell a little something about them."

"Oh. Hm." Virgil tried to remember what was on his phone. "Some art and nature photos, but… mostly memes."

Patton giggled. "How come?"

"Well, the memes ‘cause they make me laugh. The art and nature photos because… I don't know. I just like them."

Patton nodded thoughtfully.

"What about you?"

"Mostly selfies with various dogs. I don't keep many pictures, but I do like dogs."

Virgil smiled. "My roommate's parents own a pet shop. Maybe we could go visit sometime." His eyes widened. "I-I mean— if you want to hang out or-or something…"

"I'd like that."

Virgil felt a warmth in his chest that didn't come from his coat. He cleared his throat. "So, you like dogs, huh?"

Patton smiled. "And cats. But I'm allergic to cats, so I can only be around dogs. Never had one, though, but I hope to someday." He looked over at Virgil. "What about you?"

Virgil took a sip of coffee. "My parents had a dog when I was younger, but it always scared me. It was so  _ big _ . He was a nice dog, but…" He shook his head. "I just couldn't get over my fear, so we had to find a new home for him. But… maybe I could try again someday, now that I'm older and, you know, bigger."

Patton giggled. "Well, if you do try, I hope it goes well for you."

Virgil smiled. "Thanks."

They walked for a few more minutes in a more contented silence before Patton broke it again. "So, you have both parents?"

"Yeah, well, three parents, really. Though I guess Papa seemed more like an uncle in how I interacted with him. But I was raised by my Mama and Ima. Two moms."

Patton's eyes lit up. "You have LGBT parents?! That must be so cool!"

Virgil shrugged, but smiled. "I guess. They were pretty much just like normal parents, as far as I could tell… How about you? What are your parents like?"

"Just parent. My mom. Dad left before I was born."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

It was Patton's turn to shrug. "We didn't miss him. Sure, it would've been nice to have some help now and then, but we never wanted it from him. And my mom's family were nice and helped where they could."

Virgil nodded. "Any siblings?"

Patton shook his head. "Single child. You?"

"Nope. I'm an only child, too. Did you ever want one?"

"Oh, yeah! I wanted tons of siblings! We would've played and laughed and it would have been so cool!"

Virgil smiled. "Yeah, that does sound nice. But it was good to be the only child sometimes. I never really wanted a sibling."

"Really?"

"Just never thought about it."

Another moment of silence.

"So, what's your major?" Virgil asked before taking another sip of coffee.

Patton smiled. "Elementary ed. You?"

"Psychology."

"Ooh! That sounds fun!"

Virgil chuckled. "Yeah, it is. I'm sure elementary ed is fun, too."

"Not yet. But next year I'll be in the classroom, and  _ then _ it will be fun."

This time, Virgil laughed, and Patton's face lit up.

"You're crazy," Virgil said as his laughter died. "I mean a good crazy," he added quickly, worried he had offended his companion. "Like, anyone who likes hanging around kids has got to be a  _ little _ crazy, but we need those kind of people, you know, so…"

Patton laughed. "It's okay. I know I can be a little crazy. But I like to think some of the best people have a little craziness in them."

The rest of the walk went on in a similar manner, till they finally arrived back at the cafe.

"Well, this is my stop," Patton said, looking a little disappointed.

"Yeah… I'll, uh, see you next week?"

Patton's face brightened. "Yeah! Thanks for coming with me, Virgil!"

Virgil smiled. "My pleasure."

This made Patton smile wider, and he waved as he walked in the door, the bell ringing above his head.

Virgil waved, then turned toward home, taking a sip of coffee to hide his smile.

***

Virgil opened the door to his apartment, and ran smack into Roman.

"And  _ why _ are you so late?!" Virgil's redhead roommate demanded, his nose an inch away from Virgil's.

"I-uh-uh…" Virgil was frozen in place, trying to get over his shock. He wasn't scared  _ of _ Roman, but his heart was racing and he wanted to rush out of there.

"I informed Roman that being half an hour late really isn't all that worrying," Logan said, gently pulling Roman back. "And that you are your own person and should be allowed to do what you will with your time."

"But you're always on time! You come home right after class everyday. It's predictable! Always the same! But not today! Noooo- today you had to go off and leave me to think you'd been  _ kidnapped _ or  _ mugged _ or who knows what else! You could have  _ called _ if you were going to change plans!"

Now that Roman wasn't in his face anymore, Virgil could breathe a little better. "I-I'm sorry… didn't-didn't realize you… would worry…"

Roman's face softened. "Hey, calm down, little emo. I'm sorry I scared ya. Here, just breathe." He reached out and grabbed Virgil's empty hand, rubbing circles in a rhythm Virgil could count to- in for four, hold for seven, out for eight.

Virgil calmed down quickly— it was only a little shock, after all. When he saw that Virgil was able to breathe again, Roman pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry me like that, okay? I couldn't bear to lose my best friend."

Virgil chuckled. "You sap."

Roman pulled away with an offended noise, but Virgil could see the smile pulling at his lips.

While Roman pretended to pout, Logan turned back to Virgil. "Why  _ are _ you so late, if you don't mind me asking?"

Virgil looked away. "I… went on a walk."

"Ha! You participated in  _ exercise _ ?" Roman cut in, completely forgetting his pout.

" _ Yeah _ , I  _ did _ . It's… good for your mental health…"

"You've known that for years, Jack Smellington. What made you change your mind?"

"Indeed," Logan added. "Even adding my urgings the past few months hasn't motivated you. What made you start now?"

"What is this, 20 questions? Maybe I just finally decided to try it out!"

Both of them looked taken aback at his defensiveness, and they glanced at each other. He felt heat rising to his cheeks.

"I've got homework," he mumbled, brushing past Roman into the hall.

***

The bell rang above Virgil’s head as he walked in the cafe door. Patton looked over and smiled at him, then turned back to the customer at the counter. There was actually a short line today, so Virgil got in the back and waited, scrolling on his phone.

As he moved up the line, others came in and waited behind him. He found his gut sinking. He wouldn’t be able to talk to Patton much today. And last week had been… fun. Really fun.

He got to the counter and looked up. Patton smiled at him, and the sinking feeling lightened. He smiled back, then started to speak. “One va—”

“One vanilla coffee, 2 extra creams? Didja want it tall or grande this week?” Patton looked at him with a slightly mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Virgil laughed as the shock work off. “Surprise me.”

Patton’s smile grew. “Coming right up.”

Virgil wasn’t sure why Patton had to write his name on the cup, since he was the only employee there and he was doing the drinks one by one, but write Patton did, and then set about making Virgil’s coffee.   
“Here you go, Virgil. Enjoy!”

Virgil found himself smiling as he took the cup, then headed out the door.

As he took a sip, he remembered his challenge to Patton, and he looked to see what size Patton had chosen. But before he could register that it was a tall, he noticed a different surprise.

Below his name… was a set of numbers.

Virgil’s heart began racing and he pulled out his phone. He typed in the number and sent a quick text.

_ Hey. This is Virgil. _

He stared breathlessly at his phone for a couple minutes, then suddenly was struck with the realization that Patton was still working— of course he wouldn’t text back.

Virgil groaned, then took a long drag of coffee, biting the lip of the lid.

This would be the longest wait of his life.

***

“What’s up with you, Count Woe-laf?”

Virgil looked up from his cereal, which he had been picking at for the last few minutes. When he realized it was Roman who had spoken, he turned away and looked at his phone. Still no message. He sighed and went back to his cereal.

“Are you waiting on a phone call? Did something bad happen?” Roman came around the counter and bumped up next to Virgil, looking at him worriedly.

“No, nothing bad. Just… someone I met. I think he was going to text me.”

“ _ What?! _ ”

Virgil jumped, splashing cereal over the counter.

“Oh, sorry,” Roman said, reaching to grab the paper towels. “But seriously, what? You met a guy? Is’e cute?” He wiggled his eyebrows at Virgil.

“It’s not…” Virgil mumbled, but his face burned and he didn’t look at Roman.

"Wait, really? You… I was just teasing but… how long has this been going on?!"

"Nothing's 'going on', he just… seems nice."

Roman let out an inhuman shriek and wrapped his arms around Virgil. "Our little emo nightmare's in love!" He pulled away, looking at Virgil intently. "Tell. Me. Everything."

Virgil chuckled and shook his head, looking at his cereal again. "I… he's a new barista at the campus cafe. His name's Patton."

"Eeeee! Coffee shop AU!"

Virgil wrinkled his nose and looked up at his roommate. "What?"

Roman waved his hand dismissively. "Never you mind. Is he cute?"

"Um… he… I…" Virgil blushed again.

"Okay, that's a yes. So he works at the cafe. Does he go to school here? I'm guessing he does."

"Yeah. He's an Elementary ed Major."

"Aw, I bet he's a sweetheart. How much have you actually talked to—"

Just then, Virgil's phone buzzed. He snatched it up, swiping the message open.

_ Hi! This is Patton :) just got off work *phew* _

Virgil grinned and started typing. And erasing. And typing. And erasing. His thumbs danced over the keyboard uncertainly.

He looked up at Roman pleadingly. "What do I say?!"

Roman chuckled. "Just be yourself. If he's texting you, you've already won that battle. If you mess up, he'll just think it's cute." He winked at Virgil, then walked around to the table to do homework.

Virgil looked back at his phone.

_ I'm sure that's a relief. How was work? _

He set his phone down and stared at it, waiting, for the next few moments before the phone buzzed again.

_ Pretty normal. A little more busy than usual, but nothing bad. How was your afternoon? _

Stressful, Virgil thought. He had spent the entire time waiting for Patton to text.

_ Good. Just hung around. Sorta missed the walk from last week. _

_ Me too. Maybe if next week is less busy…? _

_ Sure! _ Virgil erased the exclamation mark.  _ Sure. _

_ Great! Now I've gotta do homework. Ttyl! :D _

_ Yep. Bye _

Virgil let out a breath and set his head on the counter.

"It gets easier," Roman said, not looking up from his textbook.

"Thanks, Princey."

Roman shot him a smile.

Virgil picked up his head to look at his roommate. "So where's your other half anyway?"

Roman blushed, which made Virgil smile.

"He's taking an exam."

"Ah. Exam season has started."

Roman sighed. "Unfortunately."

They settled into a comfortable silence as Roman went back to studying and Virgil dumped his cereal in the sink. The latter then left to go lay down, turning on some music to drown out his thoughts— he needed a break.

***

The half-hour walks became a near-weekly thing, and Virgil was… really happy. Patton was sweet and funny and kind. Virgil wondered how he was the one Patton had chosen to shine his sunny personality on.

When they weren't walking, they were texting. They could talk about anything. Virgil had never known anyone he could trust so much so quickly. Not that he shared every dark secret with Patton, but he imagined that maybe, one day, he might. If it ever came up, you know.

Virgil walked into the kitchen, his eyes glued to his phone as his fingers tapped furiously on the keyboard.

"What's up, Panic-at-the-Everywhere?"

Virgil smirked at the nickname, finishing his text before looking up at Roman, who was sitting next to Logan on the couch as they watched a movie.

"Just getting some dinner. Enjoying the movie?"

"Yes…" Roman turned to glance at Logan, who was enthralled with the movie. "Sort of. The parts I understand, I do, anyway."

Virgil chuckled. "Logan's night to pick?"

Roman nodded. "It's a blessing and a curse to have such a smart boyfriend." He paused, biting his lip. "Speaking of boyfriend… how's Patton?"

Virgil spluttered and felt his face go hot. "He- he's not- we're not-"

Roman laughed. "Oh come on. I know you like him. Make a move already! It's getting boring."

Virgil huffed. "It's not boring to me," he said fiercely. "And…" He looked away.

"You're anxious."

"Heh. What's new?"

"Yeah, but this time you're anxious about what everyone else gets anxious about. Do you know how scared I was to ask Logan out?"

Virgil raised an eyebrow at him.

"But look at us now, My-Chemical-Bromance! This is so much better than before, when all he was was my tutor. All Patton is… well, all you are to  _ him _ is a break-buddy. And you have been for months. It's time to take the next step. You don't have to be boyfriends… yet… but just ask him on a date! Do something new!"

"Like what?"

"Well, my birthday is coming up, and you know the three of us are gonna do something for it. Why don't you invite him? It could be a double date!"

Virgil bit his lip, shrinking into his hoodie. "… I don't know…"

"Think about it, then. We can plan after the movie's over so you have something to actually invite him  _ to _ . We'll keep it low-key. Okay?"

"… I'll think about it."

"Good." Roman smiled, then turned back to the tv. "Enjoy your dinner."

But Virgil, after a moment, turned back to his room, his stomach too much in knots to eat anything.

***

_ Hey Pat. How was work? _

_ Busy today. Hoping tomorrow won't be so we can have our walk :D _

_ Me too _

_ How are you? _

_ … anxious. But what's new? _

_ :( sorry _

Virgil squirmed. He didn't like making Patton unhappy, but he didn't want to lie to him either.

_ It's okay, really. I'll be fine. Especially after seeing you tomorrow. _

Virgil sent the text, then realized what he had said.

_ I mean, after our walk. I always have fun. _

_ Haha me too. _

_ So… _

_ So…? _

Virgil rubbed his face and groaned. He rolled his head. Just gotta rip it off like a bandaid…

_ Roman's birthday is in a couple weeks and we're gonna have a little party for him do you want to come with me? _

Virgil sent the text, then practically threw the phone on the desk, running his hands through his hair and letting out a breath. It's okay, it's okay, breathe, in for 4…

His phone buzzed and he tentatively picked it up.

_ I'd love to! _

Virgil let out another breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.  _ Really? _

_ Of course! _

Virgil's phone buzzed again before he could respond.

_ Oh, Virgil, is that what you were anxious about? Of course I'd love to go with you. I love hanging out with you, and your friends sound nice. I'd love to meet them. _

_ Yeah, okay… I like hanging out with you too! It's just… Roman … and I… thought it would be nice… to double date it? It's okay if you want to just go as friends we can invite more people or something if that makes you more comfortable… _

_ Virgil. I'd  _ love _ to be your date. Just let me know when and where and help me pick out a present for Roman. _

Virgil felt his eyes stinging. Patton actually wanted to go on a date with him. Sunshiney Patton with Virgil, the dark and stormy knight, as Roman liked to put it.

_ Okay. I'm glad you're coming. And Roman will be excited to meet you. Logan will be… Logan… I'm sure he'll be happy… or at least cordial. _

_ Haha I'm excited to meet them too. They must be great to be your friends. _

_ I don't know. Roman can be annoying at times. _

_ Haha aren't we all? _

_ Not you. _

_ … _

_ Thanks Virgil :) well, I gotta do homework. Keep me updated on the party, k? _

_ Will do. See ya, Pat _

***

Virgil sat anxiously on the couch, glancing at the door every two seconds.

"Calm down, little emo. You're gonna give yourself whiplash."

Virgil sank a little against the couch and resisted the urge to look at the door again.

"It's not even time for him to be here yet," Roman said, smiling teasingly at Virgil's expense.

"I know," Virgil sighed.

"Virgil, would you like to help me put candles on the cake?" Logan asked from the kitchen.

Thankful for the distraction, he got up and walked over to join Logan at the counter.

A few minutes later, there was a knock. Virgil jumped, straightening his shirt as he looked toward the door. Logan laid a calming hand on his shoulder, and Roman smiled at him as he passed them to greet their guest.

"Greetings! You must be Patton!"

"Yes! And you must be Roman. Happy birthday!"

Roman laughed. "Thank you. Come on in." He stepped back, allowing Patton into the apartment.

Virgil was slightly taken aback by Patton in… well, anything but his work clothes. He was wearing a blue polo that matched his hair and had a grey sweatshirt tied around his shoulders.

Patton smiled at him. "Hi Virgil," he said happily, then turned to the man behind him and waved. "You must be Logan."

"Salutations, Patton," Logan replied, adjusting his glasses. "We're glad you came."

"Indeed! Now we can get this party started!"

They dug into the cake and Roman opened his presents. He got a red sash, a plastic crown, and a book of poetry, all of which he gushed over.

Virgil was slightly miffed that Roman got to hug Patton before he ever did, but he tried to let it slide. "Now you can be a Disney prince, just like you've dreamed," he said instead.

" _ Yes! _ " Roman cheered.

After talking and laughing and cake and presents, they moved over to the couch for a movie— Disney, of course.

Roman and Logan settled in easily, leaning on each other, Roman's head on his boyfriend's shoulder.

But Virgil had a bit harder time, sitting stiffly on the couch between Logan and Patton, shrinking into himself. Could he lean on Patton? Put his arm around him? He didn't dare lay his head on Patton's shoulder like Roman.

His anxious thinking was interrupted as Patton gently moved toward him, brushing shoulders. Virgil felt his face get hot, but he took a quiet breath, and leaned gently back. Glancing at Patton, he saw his date smile.

Throughout the movie, Virgil was slowly able to relax. His arm snuck into a more comfortable position behind Patton's back. He was hardly able to focus on the movie to start with, but when Patton laid his head on Virgil's shoulder, he lost all hope of thinking of anything else.

He looked down at Patton, and Patton looked up at him and smiled.

Without thinking, Virgil whispered, "Can I kiss you?"

Before he could regret his request, Patton's smile widened. "Yes," he whispered back.

Their lips met, and Virgil melted into Patton.

Yes, Virgil really did like adding a little sunshiney sweet to his bitter.


End file.
